Covent Garden: Destined to become a hub for male fashionistas?

Covent Garden is already popular but it’s hoped Henrietta Street will become a menswear hub (Picture: John Sturrock)

Women have long had a good deal from the high street. But shopping for menswear can feel like a game of hide-and-seek, with reduced ranges occupying a tiny space at the back of a shop or hidden away upstairs.

‘There’s been a tendency for fashion retailers to focus on women’s clothing simply because women have been the biggest fashion buyers,’ says Tamara Sender, senior clothing analyst at market research company Mintel.

But with menswear now worth more than £10billion to the British economy after a growth spurt of 12 per cent in the past five years – and set to rise by another 11 per cent by 2017 – retailers are upping their game. One shopping district in the capital is taking the lead: it is hoped Henrietta Street in Covent Garden, a district on the eastern fringes of the West End, will become a menswear hub.

‘We need something for the guys,’ says Beverley Churchill, who joined the team charged with revamping the area after leaving Selfridges in 2007.

‘There aren’t many areas in London that really appeal to men so we’re trying to create a real destination for men’s fashion. We’ll be taking cues from the transformation that has happened down on King Street, which has evolved into a contemporary shopping destination.’

The area is set to host a mix of cool street-wear brands and contemporary labels you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere, with mini-concept stores from the likes of Gitman, known for its quality shirts, and cult sunglasses brand Retro Super Future.

Henrietta Street is home to a mix of shops at the moment, but come winter, the changes should have started (Picture: supplied)

It will also be home to menswear exclusives, spurring rumours that Whistles, which is due to debut its first menswear range later this year, will set up shop there.

‘We’re not trying to recreate Bond Street,’ says Churchill. ‘We’re trying to do something that’s more about accessible luxury and new and cool brands that have an interesting or avant-garde approach to what they do.’

Churchill says the transformation should become visible next winter; it follows a trend pioneered by events such as London Collections: Men, that have seen menswear move out from the shadow of womenswear.

LC:M, which launched in 2012, was born out of a demand for a stand-alone showcase in the UK, according to British Fashion Council CEO Caroline Rush.

‘Over the past few years we’ve witnessed an increasing interest in men’s fashion from all angles – consumers, designers, media and retailers – which has had an undeniably positive impact on menswear,’ she says. ‘There’s an increased awareness of men’s fashion and that awareness translated into sales.’

Shops such as shirtmaker Gitman are expected to set the tone for the area (Picture: supplied)

Now is the right time for a menswear hub, says The Chic Geek blogger Marcus Jaye. ‘It’s taken a while for menswear to get to a scale where it warrants a hub like this but right now the sector is booming.’

Rush adds: ‘London already excels in offering the best in tailoring and accessories and a new retail area shows the demand for menswear in London is as strong as ever.’

With a promise of pieces to appeal to all budgets, the Henrietta Street project is something to get excited about, says Jaye. ‘Men are more into fashion than ever, so something that offers more choice and makes it easier to see that choice is a massive plus.’